Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Blessings....

As I sit here on a nice, calm morning, writing a book that opens in an ice storm, I can't help but remember the ice storm in March of `91, the "Mother of all Ice Storms" they called it.

It came.

It froze.

It piled an unbelievable amount of ice on everything, shrouding our world in bright, glass-like ice. Amazingly beautiful and deadly. Trees crashed under the weight of the ice, bringing down electric lines everywhere. The sound of trees crashing in the dark night, rolling off rooftops, or caving them in, was like no other sound I've ever heard. And it went on for hours and hours.

There was no communication. No light. No heat. No way to get gasoline because the roads were all blocked with timber and electric lines. No way to run the gasoline pumps if you got to a gas station. Grocery stores full of food had to throw out all perishables. We had batteries for our old radio and that was the only source of communication we had.

We were one of the lucky ones. Our power was restored on day four. Many were out for 10-12 days... And the temperature outside was in the 30's.... Which meant if you didn't have an alternate source of heat, your inside temperature wasn't much better.

Remembering that storm is like recalling where you were when the Challenger disaster occurred. Or when President Kennedy and Martin Luther King were shot. Or when Princess Diana died.

That storm taught me so many things. As the years moved on, we installed a beautiful wood-burning stove for heat. We had natural gas run to the house and replaced our old electric kitchen stove with gas. We keep an extra tank of propane in the garage for the outdoor grill.

It took a lot of years, but we were determined to never let our family be cold and hungry and helpless again.

So now, writing this story, I know what ice storms do. I know the problems and injuries that occur. I can write about them without too much research because I lived it.

But I'm thanking God, our Father, for this chilly peaceful morning because it's calm. And I've developed a whole new respect for calm!

6 comments:

I remember that we hardly slept that night because of the trees cracking beneath the weight of the ice. Every time I would start to drift off, another crack/creak would startle me awake. The 4 of us walked up to our local grocery store, skirting branches and wires, but I don't even remember why we went up--maybe for batteries. Just in case. We were most fortunate because we never lost power; we would not have had an alternate source of heat had we done so. Just wondering now what March has in store for us this year after this crazy, less-snow-than-normal winter...Blessings, Ruthy... :)

Melanie, writing this book with March bearing down on us is putting me in the "be prepared" frame of mind, but then I look at how much better prepared we are now... Heat. Food. Candles and lanterns for light. Did I mention food??? ;)

Calm is good! I recall hearing about ice storms in eastern Canada a couple winters ago and seeing the damage on TV, but I've never lived through anything remotely like that. We've had windstorms that brought down a few trees, but living rurally means being prepared for that reality, and we have a generator, a wood-burning fireplace and the other essentials to cope. I think the longest our power has been out is four days. We felt like a pioneer family, hunkered down around the fireplace in the evenings, playing card games by coal oil lamplight.

Carol, you're prepared already! That's awesome. I don't think I had ever considered being out of power for an extended period of time. Then we had that "brownout" on the East Coast and then the ice storm. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out I needed to make some changes!

And Mary, I'm glad you remembered it! They called it one of the most devastating natural disasters of all time because it hit a densely populated area and just stayed... It was a long time before any kind of order was returned. So this is a labor of love to make a book out of that experience.

Ruthy, I experienced something similar with Hurricane Ike in 2008. We were without power for 10 days and that was a short wait. You do learn a lot about yourself, each other, and how the worst of times can bring out the best, and worst, in everyone. And as to how many people you should kill? Go with what you feel =)

List of upcoming books and novellas!!!

Home on the Range

Nick Stafford didn't ride off, chasing some dream... He stayed home, helping his father build a world-renowned ranch. Now his brothers are back and his father's sick and if you want to call Nick frustrated, well.. you wouldn't be wrong. He's the son who chose to stay, but so far, staying is only half the battle... And this is his story.

Their Surprise Daddy

When two illegal immigrant children face severe consequences, can their two law-appointed guardians find a way to keep them safe, happy and maybe offer them a home-sweet-home together? The last thing the youngest Gallagher sister wants is to be attracted to a wealthy, stuck-on-himself Manhattan money-mover, but as she works side-by-side with handsome Cruz Maldonado, she sees the scarred man beneath the brilliance... and the tender heart he tries so hard to hide. I hope you love this beautiful story of sacrificial love and coming home... to Grace Haven, a town full of heart and hope.

Peace in the Valley

And here it is, the story you've been waiting for. The third son, not by birth but by design: God's design. The one whose destiny lay intertwined with so many others, the one whose golden future was born of a dismal past. Trey's story, the country crooner who comes home searching for what he never really lost in the first place: love.

Book Signing!!!

These lovely gals from the Parma Public Library have graciously hosted me several times! The Friends of the Parma Public Library have been wonderfully supportive of my work and they are just the nicest bunch of people you'll ever meet. Giving a shout out to all of you gals, and a huge thank you!

Oh my stars, thanks for comin' over!!!

Yes, it's me, once again bothering innocent people and shamelessly exploiting small children and animals to sell wonderful sweet books that make you feel just a little bit better about most everything when you're done with them. I try to write the kind of book I like to READ... It just makes sense, doesn't it? :) If you click on the books below, they spring to life with a link to Amazon. I even make buying EASY for you. And inviting. If you can't afford the books (been there, done that, totally understandable) ask your local library to get them in. They're wonderful. I promise.

Woman's World article

Oh my stars!!! Huge thanks to Woman's World and Carla for choosing Winter's End as a BEST BEACH READ!

About Me

Ruth Logan Herne likes to be called “Ruthy”, she loves God, her family, her country, coffee and chocolate, thinks snakes should always live outside, possums should leave the cat food on the side porch alone and all grandchildren should be named for her.
A mother and grandmother to seriously smart young people, she writes stories of humor, hope and faith, embracing God’s love and life’s opportunities. Now an established author with Love Inspired Books, her North Country books secured the coveted 4 ½ Star Romantic Times rating and Philosophy of Romance named Made to Order Family their “Book of the Year” for 2010.
Her 2011 series is set in Allegany County, NY, one of the most gorgeous places on Earth. All three books have received a 4-Star rating! Set in the foothills of the Allegheny range, a Brigadoon-type town is coaxed back to life through love, romance, hard work and a strengthening economy. These are stories of new beginnings and righting old wrongs...
Ruthy is also proud that "Winter's End" has been nominated for the prestigious Carol Award for Christian fiction AND that "Winter's End" received the Holt Medallion Award of Merit for best first book.
Amazing.